Why fans should feel good (but not too good) about Yu Darvish's words of praise for Rangers

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Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish, left, smiles while speaking to reporters Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at the team's winter banquet in Dallas. Darvish is going into the final season of the six-year contract he signed with the Rangers after seven seasons in Japan. The 30-year-old Darvish, who missed all of 2015 after Tommy John surgery and didn't make his debut last season until the end of May, says he wants to prove to the Rangers how good of a pitcher he is. (AP Photo/Stephen Hawkins)

Yu Darvish, a vital piece of the rotation, showed up for the Rangers' annual awards banquet at Gilley's Dallas in a good mood. The usually reserved Darvish came close to gushing about the club.

"I'm really grateful to the organization for giving me this big of a contract," said Darvish, speaking through an interpreter. "They've been taking care of me really well. I just want to show the Rangers how much I can do and show them that they were right in giving me my contract."

This is significant because Darvish can become a free agent after this season. The Rangers can take heart in any favorable comment he makes.

Now, to throw cold water on the love fest. The mentions to the contract probably were not a coincidence.

Dollars ultimately will play a major role in where Darvish pitches in 2018. One thing is certain about his free agency. He will not be a grand bargain again.

At this time five years ago, the Rangers worked out a deal for Darvish: $52 million for six years. The Rangers also paid his club in Nippon Pro Baseball, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, a total of $51.7 million for negotiating rights.

Darvish's base salary for this season will be $11 million. A total of 21 starters will make at least $15 million.

The Rangers were fortunate. They did the contract under the old posting system, in which only one team had negotiating rights.

The current format more resembles free agency. That is why right-hander Masahiro Tanaka left Japan in 2014 for a seven-year, $155 million deal from the New York Yankees.

Darvish is 30 and nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He can enhance his standing for free agency with a big performance this season.

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"It's not so much about my contract but coming back from Tommy John surgery," said Darvish, who missed the 2015 season after undergoing the procedure. "To see how my body reacts and how much I can do to prove how good a pitcher I am. That's what I'm looking for."

Darvish also does not seem determined to get to a coastal area, such as New York or Los Angeles, as quickly as possible. Darvish acknowledged that the early seasons with the Rangers were a test, but he found a comfort zone last year. He has even come to terms with the heat.

"I felt like being more a part of the team, and I was able to make better adjustments," Darvish said. "Last year, I felt comfortable."

Darvish said he has stayed on schedule with his offseason work and is comfortable with his progress. Every pitcher and every medical procedure is different, but many pitchers have shown significant improvement in their second season after Tommy John surgery.

Consider St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright.

Like Darvish, Wainwright is a top-level pitcher who missed a season because of the surgery before turning 30.

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Darvish was 7-5 with a 3.41 ERA last season. In Wainwright's first season (2012) after the surgery, he was 14-13 with a 3.94 ERA. A year later, Wainwright was 19-9 with a 2.94 ERA and finished second in the Cy Young voting.